EgressIII abstract

The problem of providing emergency information in buildings to individuals who are visually impaired is complex because emergency procedures vary according to the type of emergency, extent of emergency, size of building (single floor or high-rise), occupancy (i.e., hotel or office building) and type of building construction (i.e., fire and smoke secure guest rooms and/or stairwells). This complexity raises many questions for which little information is available. Although a current state fire code (in California) requires that, “Visually impaired persons shall receive instructions of a type they will understand, for example: taping of instructions, instructions in Braille, or other appropriate methods,” there is little research which compares the use by persons with visual impairments of different formats for obtaining wayfinding information; especially in this context of emergency situations. That is, on a national basis, very little attention has been directed toward solving the life safety issue of providing emergency information to blind occupants of buildings in accessible formats. Therefore a research program was conducted where objective and subjective data was gathered upon which to base further recommendations.

In order to model the effectiveness of communicating emergency information in a number of accessible formats, a paradigm was established where subjects read or listened to instructions for executing a travel task and then were asked to execute this task. Specifically, communication effectiveness was determined by objective and subjective measures for each of the following five accessible formats: Braille, raised print, tactile maps, push button audible signs (as exemplified by TouchearR Signs) and remote infrared audible signage (exemplified by Talking SignsR) by providing subjects with route information to a designated exit stairway.

Among other findings, the major conclusions are that both remote infrared audible signage and push-button route directions enable blind users who are not severely hearing impaired to access emergency egress information in an efficient manner. Auditory information is preferred above tactile information, but it is not accessible for persons who are severely hearing impaired. Braille results in more efficient access to egress information than raised print and tactile maps and is the preferred tactile format. Loudness of fire alarms interferes with efficient egress by persons who are visually impaired. Accessible emergency egress route information must be easy to find. Users should be able to get emergency egress route information along the route, not just at designated starting points. Additional formats (telephones, TVs, solid state recorders) may provide technical solutions. However, prior to consideration for deployment, each of these should be subjected to scrutiny to determine effectiveness (through research techniques such as those employed in the present study)

This project was supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and by The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center.